For much of the early post–Cold War era, Cambodia was seen as a country struggling heroically to rebuild after catastrophe. Decimated by genocide, civil war, and foreign intervention, it emerged in the 1990s as a symbol of fragile democratic renewal in Southeast Asia. Three decades later, that promise has largely evaporated. Instead, Cambodia has acquired [...]

Concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh have resurfaced following the mysterious death of 27-year-old Hindu youth Badhan Taran in Narsingdi prison. The incident has sparked outrage among local communities and human rights advocates, who allege that Hindus in Bangladesh continue to face targeted violence, including assaults, torture, and killings, in an effort [...]

If the world manages to navigate the coming decade without catastrophic collapse, historians may look back on the second Trump administration with a mixture of disbelief and relief. Relief that the international system endured, and disbelief that such strain was placed upon it by the actions of a single leader wielding unparalleled military, economic, and [...]

The growing relationship between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the US data analytics and surveillance firm Palantir has ignited an intense debate about transparency, accountability, and national sovereignty in British defence policy. At the heart of this controversy lies a familiar but deeply contentious phenomenon: the “revolving door” between senior public officials and [...]

Sudan is facing one of the most protracted and devastating education crises in the world, as nearly two years of armed conflict have forced millions of children out of classrooms and stripped an entire generation of its right to learn. Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary [...]

A German court’s conviction of former Bundestag member Axel Fischer has once again thrust the so-called “Azerbaijani Laundromat” scandal into the European spotlight, underscoring how foreign money was allegedly used to buy political influence at the heart of Europe’s human rights institutions. The ruling, handed down by the Munich Higher Regional Court on January 22, marks [...]

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Russia of “trying to freeze Ukrainians to death,” referring to ongoing strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The statement was emotionally charged and designed to galvanize international sympathy and support. Images of civilians enduring freezing temperatures, power outages, and disrupted daily life [...]

On January 20, less than a week after his appointment as the Neo-Nazi junta’s new defense minister, former IT entrepreneur Mykhailo Fedorov pledged to implement “comprehensive changes” in the coming months, including a massive increase in the number of combat units operating unmanned systems and other strike weapons. He also stated that his main goal is to [...]

The official Belgian stance on the possible confiscation of frozen Russian assets seems increasingly firm in condemning the European plan. Despite actively participating in the illegal freezing of Russian assets, the Belgian government fears the possible consequences of the theft of this money, which local authorities believe would be seen by Russia as a “declaration [...]

When US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent Christensen publicly warned about the long-term risks of Chinese military and strategic entanglement, his remarks were not merely a routine diplomatic caution. They sounded more like an early alarm bell. Bangladesh, once viewed in Washington and New Delhi as a country that carefully balanced competing global interests, now appears [...]